Commercial and institutional buildings energy use and expenses differ significantly
from residential. The typical residential electric bill is based on monthly
usage and not the intensity of usage at any one time while the commercial
customer electric bill is often largely based on the amount of energy intensity
that they used.

There are many opportunities to save energy in commercial buildings. In
new construction, the site can be chosen so as to maximize opportunities
to face to the north or south, away form direct sun. If there are many tasks
needing lighting, the use of daylight can be incorporated into the design.
Windows can be selected to maximize the visible portion of the spectrum of
sunlight while reflecting the non-visible portion. Commercial buildings with
high occupancy such as offices, schools (see our research
on school facilities), and public buildings often require cooling through
most of the year because the people and associated activities put off heat.
Choosing an appropriate cooling system for removing heat and moisture is
important. In humid climates the key factor in design of such systems is
the amount of outside air brought in for ventilation. Lighting systems should
complement the daylighting system, and a roof system that rejects the heat
is extremely helpful. Once the construction is complete, the building should
be commissioned to verify that it works as planned.

Don’t miss our priority
list for commercial building construction. You may also be interested
in learning about commercial HVAC
systems or understanding Building
Science. Daylighting information
and slide
shows on the justifications for energy efficient and renewable
energy systems, daylighting design, and on energy efficient window
design and selection is also available on our site. Check out our
various training
programs. Finally, you may want to check our publication
database for a number of relevant publications.

Priorities
Priorities for commercial buildings have been identified by FSEC
and noted in this section. By clicking on this link you will
find out further information on how to control and prevent
moisture problems from occurring during commercial building construction.

Lighting
Lighting contributes significantly to energy use in buildings,
both nonresidential and residential. Not only do the lights themselves
use energy
but lights also increase AC load. Thus, lighting
significantly impacts energy use.

Walls & Roofs
Walls and Roofs can have an important effect on interior comfort conditions in
both the residential and non-residential sectors. Walls and roofs come into
direct contact with the exterior environmental conditions. FSEC can help determine
what is useful for both energy efficiency and comfort.

HVAC Systems
This section is a list of frequently asked questions and their
answers regarding commercial HVAC systems.
Example: What is HVAC? How does my AC Work? By clicking on the
link above you will receive questions and answers on HVAC Systems.

Cleaning & Maintenance
This section is based on the publication "Creating a Green
and Profitable Work Environment". The publication is broken
into six sections and an appendix. All sections are available for
download and viewing through Adobe
Acrobat. The full publication is also available.